Announcement Primer: Luke Kennard

Brian Snow

03/23/2014

Five-star Luke Kennard has set his announcement, here is a look at his talent, his recruitment, and predictions on where he ends up.

The Recruitent

The first time Luke Kennard really emerged on the national scene was following his eighth grade year when he led his team to the AAU National Championship. The finals, which were held at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex, was attended by schools such as Dayton and Michigan.

The Flyers would quickly offer Kennard, and then the Ohio State Buckeyes wouldn't be far behind with an offer to the in-state prospect. Michigan would make it clear that Kennard was their top priority from day one, and eventually offered on June 15 following his sophomore season which is their policy.

North Carolina entered the fray during Kennard's sophomore year after seeing him at a high school tournament, and other schools such as Louisville, Michigan State, and Indiana all extended offers before the end of his sophomore season.

Kennard, who grew up a Kentucky fan, exploded at the Peach Jam in helping his team to some big wins. At that point both the Wildcats and the Duke Blue Devils offered him, and he elevated from a four-star prospect to a five-star.

Many thought soon after the Kentucky offer that he would pick the Wildcats, but that did not happen. Kennard went through the process, and soon Ohio State, Duke, and Kentucky emerged as a clear top three during his junior season.

Kennard made one official visit to Duke for the Blue Devils game against North Carolina. That was the only official visit Kennard took, though he took numerous unofficial visits to both Kentucky and Ohio State during his junior season.

The Talent

The first thing that stands out about Kennard is his ability to make shots. He is a pure shooter with range that extends well beyond the three point line. That said, he is far more than just a shooter. In fact to classify him as that would be a complete injustice to what he brings to a basketball court.

Kennard, who is also a BCS level football prospect, is a very good athlete who is more than capable of getting to the rim and holds his own quite easily on the defensive end. Also Kennard is a good passer who in a pinch can play some point guard, though his future is clearly on the wing.

At 6-foot-4, Kennard has the size and athleticism to match up with wings on both ends of the floor, and despite having a low release on his shot, he is quick and consistent with it, and no amount of length or athleticism seems to bother him.

Overall he is a clear five-star talent, and someone who has proven himself on both ends of the floor against the best in the country.

Predictions

Brian Snow: For a while I thought the heart would win out and Kennard would go to Kentucky. His entire family is made up of Kentucky fans, and watched the Wildcats growing up. However the whispers became loud over the last month that Ohio State and Duke were the top two teams on his list. Now that seems clear, and with Kennard and his family seemingly fine with the distance from home, the Blue Devils have emerged as the clear buzz team in this recruitment. With Duke being the only official visit it would be stunning if he ends up anywhere but Durham playing for Mike Krzyzewski. The Prediction: DUKE

Evan Daniels: This was an interesting recruitment. Kentucky was the early favorite because of ties to the state and the fact that Kennard grew up a Kentucky fan. But coach K and Wojo did a great job recruiting him. They locked in an early official visit and I think the Blue Devils have been the favorite since then. The Prediction: DUKE